1912 Fiat Tipo 2 F, one of the first trucks in history
With its coach set-up and slow running, this vehicle from the Turin-based company has lived in Northern Europe for a long time before getting back to its home country
It was recovered in Sweden and who knows how it got there. What is certain is that this nice old-time van has spent about twenty years in Viking land. Perhaps also in a museum, but there is no confirmation about that: “The owner did not specify where he found it,” says the current caretaker. “But from what I understand it could have been in a museum collection of the Fire Men, since the adjustable headlight at the top, on the front, was typical of their vehicles. In any case, it was certainly a civilian vehicle”. That’s one of the first trucks in history that the enthusiast, a collector of only this type of vehicle, did not miss: after seeing it on the Internet, on a German site, he decided to count it between his two Fiat 15 Ters and two Fiat 16 BLs, all built between 1912 and 1918.
Maximum speed no more than 60 km/h. “I suppose that it wasn’t used for long journeys”, he points out, “given the low power of 12 HP”. The engine is the same 2800cc four-cylinder engine of the Fiat Tipo 2, from which the cargo vehicle is derived with reinforced frame and leaf springs, double wheels and 1000 kg capacity. Even the crank starter still belongs to the car produced until 1920, while from the following model the House has adopted the electric starting and a complete electric system. However, some more recent “little helps” have been introduced in the coach car, such as an electric petrol pump.
Retouching by Restomod. The carburetor was also replaced with a 1930s one, “because it only worked well at idle and as soon as the engine revved it didn’t regulate the speed well”. Apparently the vehicle has participated in rallies and gatherings with the previous owner but has been standing still for quite some time thereafter, so the engine in general needed an overhaul despite the components being difficult to find.
Between function and aesthetics. “Among the spare parts that can still be found there are certainly tires, while the search for rims is much more difficult”. Other pieces that can be found without too much difficulty are the instruments, which in this Fiat Tipo 2 F (the initials F in the vehicle registration document stands for “cargo vehicle”) have not been changed. “Only the fuel gauge is not working because I have not restored the connection,” explains the owner. While the water indicator above the radiator, which was just found there by the current owner, appears too avant-garde for the age of the vehicle and it is not even known if it works. It’s probably just decorative.
Improved driving comfort. The whole front, however, according to the current owner was not touched, while he himself had the rear part of the body rebuilt. Even the upholstery has been redone: “It was much more Spartan and I embellished it with precious woods”, he says. And since he uses the vehicle in rallies, in order to avoid insects in the eyes he has also installed the windshield above the dashboard. Moreover, given the presence of the roof, the space seemed prepared. And anyway “the top part of the glass can be lifted, so having it or not is a choice”.
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